Ekrem İmamoğlu: My dear fellow citizens, we have won the election

According to unofficial results, the incumbent mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has won the Metropolitan Municipality mayoral election in Istanbul. İmamoğlu addressed the citizens following the election results.

Highlights from İmamoğlu's statement:

We are ahead by a margin of over one million, and we heartfully thank our friends who served at the ballot boxes.

I thank them for performing a very valuable duty.

Frankly, our vote share of nearly 52 percent compared to the approximately 39.5 percent vote share describes the gap between the two rivals. What makes us happy is that we have largely achieved our goals regarding the districts. All 14 of our municipalities are municipalities where we will continue our duty.

In addition, based on the data we have obtained, the results have reached the final stage in 11 other municipalities, districts where we can say the results are almost certain: Beyoğlu, Bayrampaşa, Beykoz, Çatalca, Silivri, Çekmeköy, Tuzla, Sancaktepe, and Şile.

However, I would like to state that the competition is still neck-and-neck in many districts, especially in districts like Gaziosmanpaşa and Pendik. I would like to thank the friends who have put in the effort regarding the counting of votes in the districts and the monitoring of the process.

We feel it is our duty to convey to our dear fellow travelers, together with our provincial chair, that the district municipal council memberships and district mayoralties have not yet been finalized, and that the monitoring must be carried out in the strictest manner until the records are clearly collected and the wet-signed records are delivered to our provincial headquarters.

I also feel it is my duty to thank each and every one of them individually for performing a very valuable duty at this wedding of democracy. We have won the election.

This success, of course, has stakeholders. I would like to thank our very esteemed CHP Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel, our Central Executive Board (MYK) members, our Party Assembly (PM) members, and our deputies very much. We heartfully thank all our organization members, our women's branches, and our members, at the level of our provincial chair, who gave an extraordinary organizational struggle in Istanbul.

"CITIZENS HAVE SENT A MESSAGE NOT ONLY TO ME, BUT ALSO TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRESIDENT"

These elections are important. We are obligated to understand what message the voters have sent. Those who think the duty given by the nation at the ballot box is non-existent will eventually lose their place in the heart of the nation.

In the election held today, the citizens have given me the mandate of 'full speed ahead.' Together with our 16 million citizens, we have buried partisanship in history. Tonight, 16 million Istanbulites have sent a message not only to me, but also to the government and the President.

News Source: 12punto